Golden Knights demote 2 forward prospects, call up 2 more
Pavel Dorofeyev’s first NHL stint was short-lived.
The Golden Knights’ left wing was sent to Henderson on Wednesday, one day after he made his NHL debut against the Seattle Kraken. Dorofeyev made the Knights’ initial roster, along with right wing Jack Dugan, for salary-cap purposes and didn’t see much action his first game.
The 20-year-old got five shifts and only one after the first period. The Knights primarily rotated a group of 10 forwards, with Dorofeyev and defenseman Dylan Coghlan, who was moved up front for the game, outside of it.
Center Jake Leschyshyn and left wing Jonas Rondbjerg were called up to replace Dorofeyev and Dugan. Both got long looks in training camp and played in four preseason games each, including the Knights’ final one.
“I liked what I saw in preseason,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “Both are reliable guys. They both are smart. I think they can kill penalties, both of them it looks like, at this level.”
The Knights’ hands were tied when it came to the lineup for their first game.
Dorofeyev, a 2019 third-round pick, and Dugan couldn’t be sent down the first day of the season according to NHL rules. That left the Knights with few options because left wings William Carrier (concussion protocol) and Mattias Janmark (COVID-19 protocols) were unavailable. Dugan himself couldn’t play because of a minor lower-body injury, multiple sources confirmed to the Review-Journal.
That’s how Dorofeyev got in the lineup after not appearing in a preseason game and Coghlan was moved to forward. Calling up Leschyshyn and Rondbjerg at least gives the Knights the option of having a more typical roster for their second game Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings.
Leschyshyn, 22, was a 2017 second-round pick and had 11 points in 39 games for the Silver Knights last season. Rondbjerg, 22, was a third-round pick in 2017 and had 13 points in 38 games for Henderson.
Neither player has made his NHL debut. At least one likely wouldn’t even be on the roster if veteran center Patrick Brown hadn’t been claimed off waivers by the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
“It’s tough when you lose a guy like Patrick Brown on waivers who’s that guy that’s always reliable, Swiss army knife, that you can shove in anywhere for any assignment,” DeBoer said. “But I think that the silver lining is now Jake Leschyshyn and Rondbjerg are going to get opportunities.”
Pacioretty makes history
Knights left wing Max Pacioretty became the first player to score a goal against all 32 NHL franchises with his first-period tally against Seattle on Tuesday.
Pacioretty was previously one of 35 players who had scored against the first 31 teams. Knights captain Mark Stone is among that group.
“Their names speak for themselves,” said center Chandler Stephenson, who skates between the pair. “It’s a lot of fun playing with two all-stars in my mind.”
Karlsson on Kraken
Center William Karlsson, one of the Knights’ breakout starts their inaugural season, was impressed by the NHL’s newest expansion team Tuesday. The Kraken lost 4-3 but briefly tied the game in the third period after falling behind 3-0.
“I think they’re going to do well,” Karlsson said. “They obviously showed good character coming back from 3-0. … I do think they’ll do some damage.”
Janmark stays back
DeBoer said Janmark would not travel with the Knights for their Thursday game in Los Angeles.
Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter. Review-Journal reporter David Schoen contributed to this report.